


Lass Uns Ewig Sein

by ToBebbanburg



Category: The Old Guard (Movie 2020)
Genre: Blowjobs, M/M, Semi-Public Sex, The Charleston, Underground Clubs, cocktails, good old back alleys, its the 20s baby, the whole lot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-11
Updated: 2020-08-11
Packaged: 2021-03-06 04:41:42
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,706
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25843744
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ToBebbanburg/pseuds/ToBebbanburg
Summary: It's the 1920s in Berlin, and Joe and Nicky are introduced to a world of swing dancing, cocktails, and sexual freedom.
Relationships: Joe | Yusuf Al-Kaysani/Nicky | Nicolò di Genova
Comments: 28
Kudos: 334





	Lass Uns Ewig Sein

**Author's Note:**

> This is just a short smutty prequel to "How to Get Away With Murder on the Orient Express", because once I wrote that I couldn't get the idea of Nicky and Joe in Weimar Republic Berlin out of my head. I have no self restraint and there's not much else to do these days.

“You’ve got to go dancing.” Andy had told them. “Trust me.”

They had only just arrived in Berlin, planning to meet up with Andy and Bastien at their rendezvous point to plan for an upcoming job. Andy had already been there a week, scouting out the city and getting the lay of the land, and had apparently somehow found the time to visit some of the new clubs that seemed to be popping up left right and centre. It had been years, decades even, since Nicky had been in Berlin, and he barely recognised the city. It was almost impossible to think that barely a decade earlier Germany had been crippled by war reparations, as now the streets, cafes, and bars all shone with untamed decadence.

With Bastien’s train not due in until the next day, Nicky and Joe found themselves with a free evening in Berlin. An evening that had been commandeered by Andy, who had taken them out for dinner at a fancy new restaurant (whose waiters appeared to be under the impression she was a visiting dignitary) followed by a walk along the river Spree. It was good to catch up with her, to listen to the stories she’d picked up over their brief couple of months apart and tell her stories of their own. It was always easy, with Andy, easy to slip back into old habits as if they’d never been away, and Nicky was enjoying their evening of idle chatter and reminiscing.

Right up until Andy propelled them down a dark alley towards a suspect doorway, before leaving them alone with nothing but a wink and a sarcastic salute as she disappeared into the sunset.

“Well.” Nicky said, viewing the dingy entrance way with apprehension. “I guess she really wants us to go dancing.”

“I suppose we’d better go in then.” Joe grinned as he pulled the door open, seemingly unperturbed by their sudden change in circumstance.

The doorway led immediately to a steep flight of stairs, taking them down into the basement of the building. As they descended, Nicky could hear music pulsing up from the room below: loud stabs of brass that sounded unlike anything he’d heard before, accompanied by a frenzy of drums and vocals that didn’t appear to consist of any actual words.

As they reached the bottom and entered the main room of the club, Nicky’s eyes widened. The room was lit by a low green glow that came from covered lamps dotted along the walls, giving the dancers a strange ethereal quality as they laughed and shouted their way through their dance.

“This isn’t dancing.” he said, somewhat in awe, as he looked at the scene in front of him. He knew dancing, had been to enough balls and grand occasions through the centuries to know what dancing is, and to know that it wasn’t for him. Dancing was rigid and awkward, choreographed moves performed with a partner. Not this writhing mass of chaos, kicks and flicks and jumps all over the place as men and women swapped partners and danced with the same gender as if nothing in the world could touch them.

He had to try it.

“Joe?” He turned round to look at Joe, about to ask him if he wanted to try whatever this was, but of course Joe was already ahead of him.

“I’m right there with you.” He said with a wink, grabbing a hold of Nicky’s hand and pulling him into the crowd.

It was surprisingly easy to fall into time with the music. Nicky had always been good at following patterns, keeping in time, and he found his body had a natural rhythm to it as he jumped and hopped alongside the other dancers, trying to copy their movements. Joe was less in time, but no less unsteady on his feet, and more than made up for it with his enthusiasm.

They kicked each other a few times, and kicked the surrounding crowd more than a few as they got used to the various steps and moves that the music called for. Somewhere around the third song Nicky thought they’d really got the hang of it, and by the sixth they were both thoroughly exhausted but incredibly happy.

He caught Joe’s eye and motioned over to the bar at the side- he could use a drink. Joe nodded eagerly. They were both sweating, the tightly packed nature of the club combined with the exercise had conspiring to overheat them. Nicky tried to remind himself to thank Andy for this later: dancing was revolutionary.

The bar was busy, giving them both time to catch their breath before one of the bartenders noticed them waiting, swooping over to serve them in a blur of eyeliner and glitter.

“What can I get you?” He, or perhaps she asked, not even bothering to hide the appreciative once over they gave the two men.

“Two wines, please. Red.” Nicky ordered for them both.

“Wine? Gentlemen, be more adventurous.” The bartender pretended to scoff, then gestured behind them at the wall lined with shelves stacked with every liqueur imaginable, and some Nicky had never even heard of.

“What would you suggest?” Joe asked, a smile on his face. The bartender leant forward, resting on their arms.

“Will you allow me to surprise you both?” They asked, arching an eyebrow.

“Do your best.” Nicky leant in, mirroring their stance. The bartender laughed and withdrew, turning away to pull several bottles down off the shelves before starting to pour and mix them in a frenzy. Nicky watched intently, trying to track the various bottles as they were tossed from hand to hand, flowing in and out of metal cups before finally being poured into long-stemmed cocktail glasses.

When the bartender finally turned back around to face Nicky and Joe, they held an elegant cocktail in each hand, each one a colour no normal drink had any right in being.

“This one’s for you,” the bartender said, sliding a drink all the colours of a sunset over to Joe, “and this one, for you.” they finished, handing Nicky one that seemed to glow green when he held it up to the light.

Nicky looked at his suspiciously, but couldn’t discern what was in it from colour alone. He tentatively took a sip, relishing how cool the liquid felt against his lips. The first thing that he noticed was the rum, and there was a lot of it. It reminded him of their time in the Caribbean in the 1700s, though the rum back then hadn’t been mixed with mint and sugar and who knew what else. It was wonderful.

“This is amazing.” Joe echoed his thoughts as he sipped his own drink, then held the glass out to Nicky who obligingly swapped it with his own.

The bartender watched with glee as they tried each other’s drinks, folding their arms on the bar and resting their head on them as they waited for the verdict.

Joe’s cocktail was sharper than his, with definite citrus notes, and though it was indeed delicious Nicky much preferred his.

“Well?” The bartender asked eagerly as they swapped their drinks back. “Did I get it the right way round?”

“You’re a marvel.” Joe said, taking another swig of his drink. “How on earth did you know I liked grenadine?”

“Mmm, it’s in your voice.” The bartender chuckled. “And you,” they turned to Nicky, “your eyes were just crying out for a sprig or two of mint to be added.”

“A genius.” Joe announced, reaching into his pocket and counting out a handful of coins that was certainly more than the drinks would have cost. The bartender grinned as they counted the money.

“A pleasure, gentlemen. Now get back to your dancing and don’t let me catch you trying to order wine again.”

They tried several more cocktails over the course of the night, the bartender coming up with increasingly elaborate drinks that somehow, inexplicably, were still absolutely just what they liked. They danced, and they drank, and they danced some more, until Nicky’s feet were tiring and he lost all track of time. The music and the alcohol were coursing through his veins, conspiring together to melt the world away until the only real, solid things were Joe in his arms and the floor under his feet.

That was, at least, until the floor stopped being solid and Nicky found himself slipping.

Joe caught him, of course he did, prompting a few cheers and scattered claps from surrounding dancers who thought it a brilliant new move. Joe easily scooped Nicky back into an upright position, and wrapped his arms tightly around him to keep him there. It wasn’t that Joe was any less drunk than he was: he was just standing on a more stable patch of floor, Nicky thought.

“My hero.” he grinned nonetheless, pressing his lips against Joe’s in a messy kiss. “My knight in shining armour.”

“I think you were the knight, amore, though your armour was less than shining if I remember correctly.” Joe laughed as Nicky continued to try and cover his face in kisses.

They had more or less stopped dancing after Nicky’s fall, and were instead simply swaying to the music on the edge of the crowd, holding tight to each other. This wouldn’t last forever, Nicky knew: times moved on, cities changed, and they had to constantly stay on the move. But for now, they were here, they had each other, and they were free. He closed his eyes and buried his face in Joe’s neck, letting the sensations wash over him. The wonderful sounds of brass and drums, the smell of sweat and booze and Joe, the faint remnants of rum and mint on his tongue. He had died a thousand times, but in a few rare moments, such as this one, he felt as if he’d finally found heaven.

Someone pushed past them as they swayed to the music, forcing Nicky even closer in towards Joe’s body. Heaven just got a little bit better. Nicky took advantage of the situation and ground himself into Joe, his arms moving around to Joe’s back to pull him closer still. He shifted slightly, from standing directly in front of Joe to just off-centre, slotting one of his legs in between Joe’s and allowing him to thrust forward into Joe’s thigh. It felt incredible.

“Nicky...” Joe huffed, though whether it was a warning or an encouragement he couldn’t tell.

“Joe.” Nicky replied happily, now rubbing himself against Joe’s leg even as people pushed past and danced around them. It didn’t matter, he decided: there were plenty of couples kissing and grabbing at each other scattered throughout the club, with barely anyone sparing them a second glance. He kept one arm wrapped tightly around Joe’s back, but let his other hand stray downwards, cupping Joe’s arse and digging his fingers into the muscle there.

“Madre di Dio.” Joe swore under his breath, and Nicky could feel him hardening in response, his hips moving against Nicky’s own.

He wondered if he could come from this, from just the friction between himself and Joe as they moved against each other on the dance floor. As much as it would be a tempting experiment, Nicky ultimately decided he wanted more of Joe, more than two layers of clothes and a crowded dance floor would allow.

Without a word, he took a hold of Joe’s hand and dragged him through the crowd towards the exit. It was fully dark now in the alley outside, with a slight chill hanging in the air that would dissuade most people from loitering. They weren’t most people.

“Nicolò, I shall have to buy you cocktails more often.” Joe joked as Nicky scouted the alley, deciding that the stack of crates at the far end would provide enough cover for what he had in mind and pulling Joe along towards it. It wouldn’t hide them from passersby completely, but it would be enough.

Once they were behind the crates, under the cover of shadow, Nicky took Joe’s face between his hands and kissed him. It was a frantic kiss, deep and messy and yet oh so good. Nicky could taste the traces of grenadine in Joe’s mouth and licked in, sucking on his lips, his tongue, desperate to chase the taste. Joe kissed back with equal hunger, his hands running lines up and down Nicky’s back as if he couldn’t decide where to rest them.

As he kissed Joe he fumbled with his trousers, trying to undo the braces that held them up. After what seemed like an age he finally released them, and dipped his hand below the fabric to cup at Joe’s cock. Joe moaned at that, and nipped at Nicky’s lower lip in appreciation.

“That feels so good.” He said, his breath misting in the cold air as his head fell away from Nicky’s to rest against the wall behind him.

“It will feel even better.” Nicky promised him, sinking to his knees and drawing Joe’s cock fully out of his trousers.

He took a moment to admire it in the dim light, reaching out to slowly stroke it from root to tip before leaning in and sucking lightly at the tip. He loved the taste of Joe in his mouth, loved the feel of him lying hot and heavy against his tongue. He licked at the slit, lapping up the small bead of precome that was already there, then relaxed his jaw and sank down, taking all of Joe into his mouth.

Joe involuntarily bucked his hips, forcing his cock even deeper down Nicky’s throat, making Nicky’s eyes water. Joe apologised instantly and tried to pull out, but Nicky firmly took a hold of his hips to keep him in place. He pulled off himself, slowly, never breaking eye contact with Joe as he did.

“Don’t hold back.” He told him, before taking Joe back in.

Joe swore as Nicky took a hold of one of his hands, placing it in his hair to give Joe something to hold onto. He needed this sometimes, needed it now, wanted Joe to use his mouth as hard and as fast as he could. Joe was more than happy to oblige.

He thrust his hips forward, sending his cock deep into Nicky’s throat, using his hold on Nicky’s hair to move his head up and down along his length. Nicky’s mouth went slack, unable to do anything but focus on trying to breathe steadily and occasionally flicking his tongue out against Joe as he fucked his mouth without hesitation.

Joe was breathing heavily now, his thrusts becoming more erratic, and the feeling of Joe falling to pieces around him, _in_ him, had Nicky desperately palming his own cock through his trousers, tantalisingly close to release.

He had been on the edge for so long, it didn’t take much before Nicky was coming, his moan choked off by Joe’s cock. The feeling of Nicky groaning around him spurred Joe on to his own release, and he came with a shout, spilling down Nicky’s throat. He didn’t pull out straight away, his fingers still tangled tightly in Nicky’s hair, holding him flush to his groin as he caught his breath.

When he did retreat, relaxing his hold on Nicky, it was with a pleased laugh and a glazed look in his eyes.

“Over 800 years and you still surprise me, mein Schatz.” He said, using the term of endearment they’d picked up from the locals. Nicky just grinned up at him from his place on the floor, tucking Joe back inside his trousers before standing up to kiss him. He felt as though he were buzzing, full of energy that hadn’t diminished in the slightest with his release.

“Do you want to go home? Clean up?” Joe asked him when they finally pulled apart, gesturing in the vague direction of Nicky’s crotch.

Nicky considered it, but he was drunk enough that he didn’t much care, and besides: who knew how much time they would have in Berlin?

He shook his head, leaning in to bite at Joe’s earlobe before whispering:

“I could use another drink.”

**Author's Note:**

> If you haven’t seen Babylon Berlin you may have missed this amazing song that I used for the title: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uekZpkYf7-E
> 
> Please, for your enjoyment, imagine Nicky completely off his head on cocktails taking to the stage to sing a song about immortality to Joe.
> 
> Erkenne mich, ich bin bereit  
> Und such mir die Unsterblichkeit


End file.
